The Hero's Journey: Book Review
Everyone needs
a hero and we all have the capacity to be a hero. Taking the mythological
concept of the ‘Hero’ the authors have produced
a wonderful series of six colourfully illustrated books covering different
aspects of the Hero’s Journey.
Written by New Zealanders, it weaves into the classic mythical story
Maori concepts and symbols to make the process relevant to people of
all cultures. For me, this is what makes the book special. The plain
language of the writing, the rich imagery and symbols makes it easy to
understand for both children and young people while still portraying
the depth of the ideas. Using a positive strengths based approach, the
books takes the reader on a journey of self-discovery. It presents ways
of reframing things from negative to positive and skills for dealing
with the things in our lives that act as barriers to positive mental
health and self esteem.
The six books cover different themes and build on each one but each book
can also be a stand-alone resource. The themes covered are:
Book 1: Who Am I? – The people, places and beliefs
that are important to us.
Book 2: Matariki – Looking at ourselves in a
different and positive way.
Book 3: Puawaitanga – Change, loss and separation,
the beginning of the growth process.
Book 4: Piwakawaka – People we meet on the way – silent
helpers, guides and tricksters.
Book 5: Taniwha and Hakari – How we can tame
the dragon within and become the hero.
Book 6: The Special Place – A safe and special
place within our self in times of trouble.
The content complements many topics on the health syllabus and is a great
teaching resource that could be used in other curriculum areas at both
primary and secondary levels. It can also be a great series of books
for parents to read with their children providing many opportunities
for sharing and discussion. Adults could also benefit from reading the
wisdom in the book.
The Hero’s Journey series fills a gap for appropriate local
mental health promotion resources and a class set in every school
would be
a good investment.
Reviewed by Barry Taylor, Mental Health Promoter
